Current interrupter and distributer for electrical ignition apparatus.



G. HONOLD.

RIBUTER FOR ELEGTRIGA APPLICATION FILED DBO.11, 1909.

CURRENT INTEBRUPTEB AND DIST Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

L IGNITION APPARATUS. Y

connection NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTLOB HONOLD, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF ROBERT BOSCH, OF STUTTGAR-T, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed December 11, 1909. Serial No. 532,521.

T 0 all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, Gorrnon HoNoLn, engineer, a subject of the German Em eror,

residing at 1113 Hoppenlaustrasse, tutt-.

gart, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to a Current Interrupter and Distributor for Electrical Ignition Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an arrangement for distributing the current, particularly that of a magneto generator, to the several spark plugs of an internal combustion motor, and is characterized by the fact that the commonly employed current interrupter becomes itself a distributing element, and cooperates with a distributing plate to direct the current to the different plugs in proper succession.

The drawings show two exemplifications of the invention.

Figures 1 to 3 show an arrangement in which the distributor is mounted directly upon a prolongation of the armature shaft of the magneto. Figs. 4 to 6 show a somewhat modified arrangement wherein the dist-ributer is carried by a counter-shaft positively driven by the armature of the magneto. Figs. 1 and 4 are front elevations with the distributing plate removed; Figs. 2 and 5 are longitudinal central sections through the distributer; andFigs. 3 and 6 show the distributing plate itself, as seen from the inner side.

In all of the figures the corresponding parts are designated by the same characters.

In both modifications one end of the armature winding is grounded, preferably by being connected. to the armature shaft, and the other end of the winding is connected to a pin a, passing concentrically through and insulated from the armature shaft, and in conducting connection with the interrupter contact I), which is in each case insulated from its carrier. In the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the carrier for the interrupter contact piece 6 is the disk lo mounted directly on the armature shaft End in electric the urpose of'holding the contact piece I) to t e carrier. In the modification shown therewith, and the pin a serves in Figs. 4: to 6 the contact piece I) is carried by a pinion l on a counter-shaft supported in the frame of the magneto, the pinion Z meshing with a pinion on the shaft of the magneto as shown; and in this case a the conducting connection between the pin a'and contact piece 5 is through the intermediate contact member 0 d e, whose contact brushes 0 and e are concentric with the counter-shaft and the armature shaft re spectively and are electrically connected by the strip d, mounted in the distributing plate f and spring-pressed inwardly as.

shown.

With a platinum contact point on the contact-piece b there cooperates a second platinum contact point on the bell crank" lever m, which is pressed by the spring n into the circuit-closing position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, and the spring n is in electrical connection with the carrier, from which the contact-piece b is insulated, so

that the two interrupter elements 25 and m constitute a short-circuiting device. for the armature windlng. The short circuit is periodically broken, in a manner which is now well known, by the cam projections on notched ring d which embraces the interrupter carrier, so that the projections on the ring come periodically into engagement with the bell-crank lever m to open the short circuit.

At the instant when the short circuit is.

broken the current is distributed to the proper spark plug by the arrangement which forms. the particular subject matter of this invention. To this end there is set into the contact-piece 72- a spring-pressed carbon brush 9 which, during the rotation of the interrupter carrier, contacts with segmental contact-pieces h set into the face of the oppositely disposeddistributing disk.

These contact segments have conducting ter.

minals projecting through the-front face of the distributing plate and are intended for connection in the usual manner to the different spark plugs. It will be seen, therefore, that the interr pter bm, short cir' cuits the armature W1 ding until contact is broken at the projections onthering 2', whereupon the current flows through brush 9 and the proper contact segment h to the spark-plug connected with that contact seg ment. p j

The notched cam ring 2' 15 mounted with in a bore on the side plate of the magneto and is capable of a limited oscillatory move- ,7: for the interrupter, in the arrangement of Figs. 4 to 6 the interrupter is carried directly by the distributing pinion Z.

The advantage of the invention lies in the very material simplification of the apparatus, and also in the fact that both the distributor and the interrupter are made accessible by the removal of a single piece. of the apparatus.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner. the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a current interrupter and distributer for magneto ignition apparatus, a housing containing an interrupter having a pair of interrupter elements, a cam adapted to periodically separate said elements, and a contact brush carried .by the interrupter, in

combination with a distributing plate constituting a closure for said housing and carrying a series of contact se ments adapted to successively contact with said brush; substantially as described.

2. In a current interrupter and distributer for electrical ignition apparatus, an interrupter having a pair of interrupter elements, an adjustable cam adapted to .periodically separate said elements, a contact brush carried by the interrupter, a distributing plate having a series of-contact segments adapted to successively contactwith said brush, and means for adjusting said cam, whereby the separation of said ele-.

ments relative to the period of contact between the brush and each' of. saidsegments may be adjusted; substantially as described.

3. In a current interrupter and distributer for electrical'ignition apparatus, a ro-v tary interr'u ter support, two cooperating interrupter e ements on said support, an adjustable cam ring embracing Saidelernents and engaging one of them to separate them periodically, a contact brush carried by the other of said elementsf'a distributing plate having a series of contact segments disposed opposite to said brush and in contacting relation thereto, and an adjusting lever connected to said cam ring; substantially as described.

. 4. In a current interrupter and distributer for magneto ignition apparatus, a pinion on the shaft of the magneto, a distributer pinion meshing therewith, two cooperating interrupter elements on said distributer pinion, an adjustable cam ring embracing said elements and engaging one of them to separate them periodically, a contact brush carried by the other of said elements, a distribut-ing plate having a series of contact segments disposed opposite to said brush and-in contacting relation thereto, and an adjusting lever connected to said substantially as described. 7 I

5. In a current interrupter and distributer for electrical ignition apparatus, a housing containing a rotary interrupter support, a pair of interrupter elements on said support, an adjustable cam ring embracing said elements and engaging one of them periodically to separate them, and a contactbrush carried by the other interrupter element, in combination -with a distributing plate constituting a,closure for said housing and carrying a series of contact seg ments disposed 'opposite to said contact brush in contacting relation thereto, and an adjusting lever connected to the adjustable cam ring and extending through the wall of the housing; substantially as described.

6. In a current interrupter and distributer for magneto ignition apparatus, a housing formed on the end plate of the magneto, said housing inclosing a pinion on the shaft of the armature, a distributor pinion meshing therewith, a pair of interrupter elements on the distributing pinion,- an adjustable cam ring embracing the interrupter elements and engaging one of them periodically to separate them, and a contact brush cam ring;'

carried by the other interrupter element, said housing having a cover constituting a the adjustable cam ring and projecting through the wall of the housing; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

I }OTTLOB HONOLD.

Witnesses I Max Ausorrfi'rz,

Rsmnonn Enwmrr.

copiu hi this patent my be obtain'ed for an cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

3 Washington, D. 0." 

